The 10 Plagues of Egypt - Kids Bible Maps Bible Topics Moses and The 10 Plagues Exodus 9:14 - "For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth." FOLLOW THE MAP The Ten Plagues for Little Kids This map shows the land of Egypt where the ten plagues of the Bible happened. During this time in ancient history, the Hebrews were slaves to the Egyptians, but God told His prophet Moses that it was time for them to be free. Moses told the ruler of Egypt to let the Hebrews go because God had sent him, but Pharaoh would not allow it! Because Pharaoh did not listen to Moses, God brought ten different plagues over Egypt to convince him to free the Hebrews. The first plague was turning the Nile River into blood but Pharaoh still didn't believe it was from God. So God sent the second plague of thousands of frogs! They were jumping everywhere, even in the Egyptians' houses! After the frogs, God sent a plague of gnats. They buzzed all around the people and animals.

The fourth plague was the plague of flies. After the flies, God sent a terrible plague on all of the Egyptians' horses, camels, and other animals, but God protected the Hebrews' animals. The sixth plague was a plague of boils where people got big, painful bubbles on their skin. But Pharaoh still wouldn't free God's people! So God sent the plague of Hail over all the land. Hail is hard ice that falls from the sky like rain. Pharaoh said he would let the people go, but as soon as God stopped the hail, Pharaoh changed his mind and didn't let them leave! God brought three more plagues, the plague of locusts (which are like grasshoppers), the plague of darkness (where the land was dark for 3 days straight), and the worst plague of all: the plague of the firstborn. Moses warned Pharaoh that the firstborn child of every family in Egypt would die if the Hebrews were not freed; once the final plague happened Pharaoh finally let them go. If Pharaoh had listened to Moses and obeyed God, none of these plagues would have happened. The Ten Plagues for Big Kids The 10 Plagues in Bible History.

The Bible reveals that the Hebrews were slaves in the land of Egypt for 400 years. Earlier in the book of Genesis when Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and sold as a slave and taken to Egypt, God used that whole situation to prepare the descendants of Abraham about how to trust the LORD. All of the time that the Hebrews were slaves in Egypt God was preparing a nation in fulfillment of his promise to Abraham. Egypt had become the most powerful kingdom in the world, and Pharaoh was the most powerful ruler in the world. When Moses came with a staff and demanded that he let God's people go Pharaoh scoffed at him and mocked God. Throughout a series of 10 devastating plagues upon the land of Egypt, God actually mocked all the gods of the Egyptians and even Pharaoh himself. Pharaoh finally let the Hebrews go and with all the wealth of Egypt. Ultimately the Hebrews learned that God is in control, that He is a God of miracles and can do whatever He wants, and that He will take care of His people and they would be wise to put all their trust in Him. Moses. Moses learned well at the burning bush that the LORD is the God of all the earth.

Moses saw the God turn his staff into a snake, and then turned back into his staff again. Moses also saw his hand become white with leprosy, and then God made his hand normal again. The Bible calls Moses "the humblest man on the face of the earth" and he was no doubt quite an individual. Moses did not feel adequate to do the task of demanding that Pharaoh let God's people go because he was not a good speaker. God told Moses "your brother Aaron shall speak for you now go" and Moses did as the Lord commanded. It is hard to imagine but Moses came and stood before Pharaoh, the most powerful man in all the earth. Pharaoh. The rulers within the land of Egypt called Pharaoh. It is impossible to know exactly which Pharaoh it was that was ruling Egypt when Moses came and demanded that he let God's people go. The Hebrews had been slaves for over 400 years and Pharaoh was the most powerful man in the world, he was not about to let a Hebrew threaten him to let Israel go.

Moses came and said to Pharaoh "God has sent me to ask you to let his people go" and then Pharaoh scoffed at this and hardened his heart and made the burden upon the Hebrews much greater. Would Pharaoh did not realize is that the LORD is the God of all the earth and Pharaoh was not able to withstand Him. God sent 10 devastating plagues upon the land of Egypt and finally Pharaoh let God's people go, but then he sent his armies after them in defiance. The Red Sea had parted for the Israelites who would left Egypt with all their wealth, Evan Pharaoh's armies had ended the sea the close upon them and they were swept away. Pharaoh was the most powerful men the world but history proves that in the midst of all the power of man, God is in control. First Plague: Blood. In the first plague the Lord turned the water of the Nile River into blood. Moses warned Pharaoh but Pharaoh's heart was hardened, the terrible plague lasted for seven days even though the magicians of Egypt could not do anything to stop it. (Exodus 7:14-24). Second Plague: Frogs.

In the next plague the Lord sent frogs throughout the land of Egypt. Moses warned Pharaoh but he hardened his heart against the Lord and would not let God's people go. (Exodus 8:1-15). Third Plague: Lice. In the third plague the Lord sent lice, because Pharaoh hardened his heart once again. Pharaoh's magicians saw this plague and said "This is the finger of God." (Exodus 8:16-19). Fourth Plague: Flies. in the fourth plague the Lord sent flies, Moses warned Pharaoh, and Pharaoh hardened his heart against the Lord and would not let the people go. Israel did not get affected by this plague, and this was the first time that Pharaoh made an offer. (Exodus 8:20-32). Fifth Plague: Disease on Livestock. In the fifth plague God sent a terrible disease on the cattle. Pharaoh was warned again and he hardened his heart. (Exodus 9:1-7). Sixth Plague: Boils. In the six plague the Lord sent open sores or boils on the skin. This time the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart.

(Exodus 9:8-12). Seventh Plague: Hail. The next plague the Lord sent a great hail and when it landed on the ground it turned into fire. Moses warned Pharaoh and Pharaoh hardened his heart. Everyone who did not heed the warning was smitten by the plague. (Exodus 9:13-35). Eighth Plague: Locusts. In the eighth plague the Lord sent a miserable plague of locusts. Pharaoh made another offer to Moses but were not completely let the people go. Moses had warned Pharaoh and Pharaoh hardened his heart again. (Exodus 10:1-20). Ninth Plague: Darkness. The ninth plague was a great darkness throughout the land of Egypt, a darkness which could be felt. The darkness remain in the land for three days. This was quite humiliating to Pharaoh since the word "Pharaoh" means "the sun". Pharaoh hardened his heart and the worst was yet to come. (Exodus 10:21-22). Tenth Plague: Death of the First-Born.

Moses revealed his anger by this time, this was because of Pharaoh's rejection even in the midst of all the suffering. God sent the Angel of death to go throughout the land of Egypt, and if anyone did not have the blood of a lamb placed upon the doorpost of their house, that house would be smitten by the death Angel. The Israelites were quick to obey God, and the Egyptians suffered greatly with the loss of their firstborn, even in the house of Pharaoh. (Exodus 11). The First Passover. The Passover happened at the time of Moses and the 10 plagues. In the 10th and final plague the death Angel passed through the land of Egypt. The death angel was sent to kill every firstborn son in every house if there was not the blood of a lamb on the doorpost as a sign. when the death Angel saw the blood on the doorpost it would "pass-over" that house and the firstborn son was spared. This was the Passover. The Exodus from Egypt. After the 10 plagues Pharaoh finally agreed to let the Hebrew slaves go. The Exodus is when Moses The Riches of Egypt.

According to the Bible the Hebrew slaves left the land of Egypt with all the wealth of the Egyptians. The people of Egypt were glad to see the Hebrews go. All the gold and silver and jewels and other precious items would be later used for the construction of the tabernacle, and even Solomon's Temple. The God's of Egypt. There were many gods in the land of Egypt, the Nile River God, the bull deity, and deities for all the animals and many other sorts of gods within the land. The true God of heaven smote the land of Egypt and humiliated Pharaoh and all of his gods. The study of Moses and the 10 plagues is very important in the study of the Bible, let's pray: Dear Jesus, we thank you and praise you for your Word. It is amazing that you revealed your power in your strength in the land of ancient Egypt. Pharaoh could not stand against you, and whatever you desire will happen because you are in control and you will not let your people be slaves to anyone. We praise you Lord that you are our defender our strength and a present help in time of need. We trust you and we stand with you. In Jesus name� Amen!

The 10 Plagues of Egypt for Kids Map of the 10 Plagues of Egypt for Bible Study Against All The Gods Of Egypt: Moses and 10 Plagues Against All The Gods Of Egypt (#2) by David Padfield The first article in this series to showed how the 10 plagues God sent on Egypt were directed not only against Pharaoh and his people, but also "against all of the gods of Egypt." We will now continue with the second installment. Fourth Plague: Swarms (Exo. 8:20-32) In the fourth plague, Pharaoh was warned that God would "send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand" (Exo. 8:21). It is important to note that Moses did not use the phrase "of flies" in this passage -- he simply used the word "swarms" -- the phrase "of flies" was added by the translators, and it is very possible the translators did not help with our understanding of this passage.

It is very likely that the "swarms" in this passage were swarms of the scarab beetle. The scarab was actually a dung beetle -- an insect that feeds on the dung in the fields. The plague of swarms of scarabs, with mandibles that could saw through wood, was destructive and worse than termites! Deification of the scarab beetle is still seen in Egypt today. Amon-Ra, the creator and king of the gods, had the head of a beetle. "Ra, the Sole Creator was visible to the people of Egypt as the disc of the sun, but they knew him in many other forms. He could appear as a crowned man, a falcon or a man with a falcon's head and, as the scarab beetle pushes a round ball of dung in front of it, the Egyptians pictured Ra as a scarab pushing the sun across the sky." (Geraldine Harris, Gods & Pharaohs from Egyptian Mythology, p. 24). Some scholars believe this "swarm" was of the blood-sucking gadfly, which was responsible for a lot of blindness in the land. Keil and Delitzsch believe this was the dog-fly, an insect described in detail by Philo.

Dog-flies are more annoying than gnats, and fasten themselves to the human body. This is the first plague in which God made a distinction between His people and the Egyptians -- the swarms stayed away from Goshen, where His people lived, for He made "a difference between My people and your people" (Exo. 8:22-23). Fifth Plague: Livestock Diseased (Exo. 9:1-7) The fifth plague was directed against the domestic animals in the land of Egypt. Horses and cattle were not only highly valued in the land of Egypt, but they were also sacred. "All Egyptians use bulls and bull-calves for sacrifice, if they have passed the test for 'cleanness'; but they are forbidden to sacrifice heifers, on the ground that they are sacred to Isis." (Herodotus, The Histories, p. 101).

"The flies would have also become carriers of the highly infectious and usually fatal Bacillus anthracis that had already killed the fish and frogs, and livestock (brought back into the fields as the flood-waters subsided) would have succumbed to the anthrax bacteria (fifth plague)." (Edward Youngblood, Exodus, p. 53). The Egyptians worshiped many animals, and many animal-headed deities. The god Apis was represented as a bull, and had been worshipped in Egypt since around 3,000 B.C. The funerary cult devoted to him left many important remains. The Apis bull was the living image of the god Ptah. He was also associated with Re, from whom he borrowed the disk he wore between his horns. When the Apis bull died, priests would travel through every pasture in Egypt looking for his replacement -- the calf would have a black coat, with distinctive patches on his neck, back and body. The Apis bull supposedly had the power of prophecy. When the Apis bull died the land of Egypt mourned for him as they would for the loss of the monarch himself.

After death, his body would be embalmed, and after the funeral rites were performed, the body would be placed in a granite sarcophagus. Hathor was the cow-headed goddess of the desert. "The cow was the living symbol of Isis-Hathor, represented sometimes as a cow, at others as a woman with a cow's head, at others as a horned woman." (How and Wells, Commentary on Herodotus, p. 185). "The original form under which Hathor was worshipped was that of a cow. Later she is represented as a woman with the head of a cow, and finally with a human head, the face broad, kindly, placid, and decidedly bovine, sometimes retaining the ears or horns of the animal she represents. She is also shown with a head-dress resembling a pair of horns with the moon-disk between them." (Lewis Spence, Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends, p. 163).

The goddess Hathor was the symbolic mother of Pharaoh, and the king of Egypt was referred to as "the son of Hathor." In addition to the gods already mentioned, this plague would have been a direct insult to Khnum, the ram-god, and to Bast, the cat goddess of love. Sixth Plague: Boils (Exo. 9:8-12) In the sixth plague Moses and Aaron were commanded to "Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from a furnace, and let Moses scatter it toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh. And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and it will cause boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt" (Exo. 9:8-9). This plague was probably skin anthrax, a black abscess that develops into a pustule. This plague was accompanied by painful boils that affected the knees, legs, and soles of the feet (cf. Deut. 28:35). This explains why Pharaoh's "magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians" (Exo.

9:11). This medical malady was also an affront to Imhotep , the god of medicine -- this alone must have led to great despair in the land. "The first real person in known history is not a conqueror or a king but an artist and a scientist -- Imhotep, physician, architect and chief adviser of King Zoser (ca. 3150 B.C.). He did so much for Egyptian medicine that later generations worshiped him as a god of knowledge, author of their sciences and their arts; and at the same time he appears to have founded the school of architecture which provided the next dynasty with the first great builders in history." (Will Durant, The Story of Civilization, Volume One, p. 147). It is very likely that Imhotep was the architect who planned Egypt's first large-scale stone monument: the Step Pyramid at Saqqara . This plague would have also been an affront to Serapis, the deity in charge of healing, and to Thoth, the ibis-headed god of intelligence and medical learning. Seventh Plague: Hail (Exo.

9:13-35) The seventh plague was directed at the "very heart" of Egypt so the Egyptians would "know that there is none like Me in all the earth" (Exo. 9:14). Jehovah was going to cause "very heavy hail to rain down, such as has not been in Egypt since its founding until now" (Exo. 9:16). This would have been a very unusual occurrence, for the region around Cairo normally receives only two inches of rain per year. In this plague the flax and barley crops were destroyed (Exo. 9:31), which means this must have taken place in January. Since this plague originated from the sky, it would have been an insult to Nut, the sky goddess. "Her most general appearance, however, is that of a woman resting on hands and feet, her body forming an arch, thus representing the sky. Her limbs typified the four pillars on which the sky was supposed to rest. She was supposed originally to be reclining on Geb, the earth, when Shu raised her from this position." (Lewis Spence, Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends, p. 173).

Nut was also considered by the Egyptians to be the mother of five other gods: Osiris, Hathor, Set, Isis, and Nephthys. During this plague, you have to wonder: Where was Shu, the wind god? Where was Horus, the hawk-headed sky god of Upper Egypt? Isis and Seth supposedly protected the crops, but the burned fields testified of their impotence. Although this plague would have caused widespread devastation, a few trees remained for the locusts of the next plague to devour. This article will be continued in our next issue of the bulletin. Against All The Gods Of Egypt (2015 edition), a detailed study of the plagues Jehovah sent to punish the land of Egypt and her gods during the time of Moses. Special emphasis is given to showing how each plague was a direct insult to certain gods in Egypt (56 pages; PDF file size: 3.2MB). The Ten Plagues of Egypt The History of Judaism The Ten Plagues of Egypt Moses and Aaron did not convince the Pharaoh to let the Children of Israel return to their own land. They warned the Pharaoh if they were not allowed to leave, G-d would punish them with ten plagues, but he still refused.

The ten plagues are found in Exodus Chapters 7 and 8. The first plague: G-d turned the waters to blood. And the L-RD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone. The second plague: G-d sent frogs. And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs: And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading troughs: And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. (8:2-4) The third plague: G-d sent lice.

And the L-RD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. (8:16) The fourth plague: G-d sent flies. Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are. (8:21) The fifth plague: G-d made the animals sick and many died. Behold, the hand of the L-RD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain. (9:3) The sixth plague: G-d gave every person and animal boils. And the L-RD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.

And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. (9:8-9) The seventh plague: G-d sent thunder and hail. Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now. (9:18) The eighth plague: G-d sent locusts. Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast: And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field. (10:4-5) The ninth plague: G-d sent darkness for 3 days. And the L-RD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.

And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. (10:21-22) The tenth plague: The firstborn will die. And Moses said, Thus saith the L-RD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. (11:4-5) At midnight on the 15th of Nissan the firstborn in Egypt began to die, including the firstborn of the Pharaoh. He called Moses and Aaron to come to him and he said: Rise up, get yo forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the L-RD, as ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.

(Exodus 12:31-32) Against All The Gods Of Egypt: Moses and 10 Plagues Against All The Gods Of Egypt (#2) by David Padfield The first article in this series to showed how the 10 plagues God sent on Egypt were directed not only against Pharaoh and his people, but also "against all of the gods of Egypt." We will now continue with the second installment. Fourth Plague: Swarms (Exo. 8:20-32) In the fourth plague, Pharaoh was warned that God would "send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand" (Exo. 8:21). It is important to note that Moses did not use the phrase "of flies" in this passage -- he simply used the word "swarms" -- the phrase "of flies" was added by the translators, and it is very possible the translators did not help with our understanding of this passage. It is very likely that the "swarms" in this passage were swarms of the scarab beetle.

The scarab was actually a dung beetle -- an insect that feeds on the dung in the fields. The plague of swarms of scarabs, with mandibles that could saw through wood, was destructive and worse than termites! Deification of the scarab beetle is still seen in Egypt today. Amon-Ra, the creator and king of the gods, had the head of a beetle. "Ra, the Sole Creator was visible to the people of Egypt as the disc of the sun, but they knew him in many other forms. He could appear as a crowned man, a falcon or a man with a falcon's head and, as the scarab beetle pushes a round ball of dung in front of it, the Egyptians pictured Ra as a scarab pushing the sun across the sky." (Geraldine Harris, Gods & Pharaohs from Egyptian Mythology, p. 24). Some scholars believe this "swarm" was of the blood-sucking gadfly, which was responsible for a lot of blindness in the land. Keil and Delitzsch believe this was the dog-fly, an insect described in detail by Philo. Dog-flies are more annoying than gnats, and fasten themselves to the human body.

This is the first plague in which God made a distinction between His people and the Egyptians -- the swarms stayed away from Goshen, where His people lived, for He made "a difference between My people and your people" (Exo. 8:22-23). Fifth Plague: Livestock Diseased (Exo. 9:1-7) The fifth plague was directed against the domestic animals in the land of Egypt. Horses and cattle were not only highly valued in the land of Egypt, but they were also sacred. "All Egyptians use bulls and bull-calves for sacrifice, if they have passed the test for 'cleanness'; but they are forbidden to sacrifice heifers, on the ground that they are sacred to Isis." (Herodotus, The Histories, p. 101). "The flies would have also become carriers of the highly infectious and usually fatal Bacillus anthracis that had already killed the fish and frogs, and livestock (brought back into the fields as the flood-waters subsided) would have succumbed to the anthrax bacteria (fifth plague)." (Edward Youngblood, Exodus, p. 53). The Egyptians worshiped many animals, and many animal-headed deities.

The god Apis was represented as a bull, and had been worshipped in Egypt since around 3,000 B.C. The funerary cult devoted to him left many important remains. The Apis bull was the living image of the god Ptah. He was also associated with Re, from whom he borrowed the disk he wore between his horns. When the Apis bull died, priests would travel through every pasture in Egypt looking for his replacement -- the calf would have a black coat, with distinctive patches on his neck, back and body. The Apis bull supposedly had the power of prophecy. When the Apis bull died the land of Egypt mourned for him as they would for the loss of the monarch himself. After death, his body would be embalmed, and after the funeral rites were performed, the body would be placed in a granite sarcophagus. Hathor was the cow-headed goddess of the desert. "The cow was the living symbol of Isis-Hathor, represented sometimes as a cow, at others as a woman with a cow's head, at others as a horned woman." (How and Wells, Commentary on Herodotus, p. 185).

"The original form under which Hathor was worshipped was that of a cow. Later she is represented as a woman with the head of a cow, and finally with a human head, the face broad, kindly, placid, and decidedly bovine, sometimes retaining the ears or horns of the animal she represents. She is also shown with a head-dress resembling a pair of horns with the moon-disk between them." (Lewis Spence, Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends, p. 163). The goddess Hathor was the symbolic mother of Pharaoh, and the king of Egypt was referred to as "the son of Hathor." In addition to the gods already mentioned, this plague would have been a direct insult to Khnum, the ram-god, and to Bast, the cat goddess of love. Sixth Plague: Boils (Exo. 9:8-12) In the sixth plague Moses and Aaron were commanded to "Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from a furnace, and let Moses scatter it toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh.

And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and it will cause boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt" (Exo. 9:8-9). This plague was probably skin anthrax, a black abscess that develops into a pustule. This plague was accompanied by painful boils that affected the knees, legs, and soles of the feet (cf. Deut. 28:35). This explains why Pharaoh's "magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians" (Exo. 9:11). This medical malady was also an affront to Imhotep , the god of medicine -- this alone must have led to great despair in the land. "The first real person in known history is not a conqueror or a king but an artist and a scientist -- Imhotep, physician, architect and chief adviser of King Zoser (ca. 3150 B.C.).

He did so much for Egyptian medicine that later generations worshiped him as a god of knowledge, author of their sciences and their arts; and at the same time he appears to have founded the school of architecture which provided the next dynasty with the first great builders in history." (Will Durant, The Story of Civilization, Volume One, p. 147). It is very likely that Imhotep was the architect who planned Egypt's first large-scale stone monument: the Step Pyramid at Saqqara . This plague would have also been an affront to Serapis, the deity in charge of healing, and to Thoth, the ibis-headed god of intelligence and medical learning. Seventh Plague: Hail (Exo. 9:13-35) The seventh plague was directed at the "very heart" of Egypt so the Egyptians would "know that there is none like Me in all the earth" (Exo. 9:14). Jehovah was going to cause "very heavy hail to rain down, such as has not been in Egypt since its founding until now" (Exo. 9:16). This would have been a very unusual occurrence, for the region around Cairo normally receives only two inches of rain per year.

In this plague the flax and barley crops were destroyed (Exo. 9:31), which means this must have taken place in January. Since this plague originated from the sky, it would have been an insult to Nut, the sky goddess. "Her most general appearance, however, is that of a woman resting on hands and feet, her body forming an arch, thus representing the sky. Her limbs typified the four pillars on which the sky was supposed to rest. She was supposed originally to be reclining on Geb, the earth, when Shu raised her from this position." (Lewis Spence, Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends, p. 173). Nut was also considered by the Egyptians to be the mother of five other gods: Osiris, Hathor, Set, Isis, and Nephthys. During this plague, you have to wonder: Where was Shu, the wind god? Where was Horus, the hawk-headed sky god of Upper Egypt? Isis and Seth supposedly protected the crops, but the burned fields testified of their impotence. Although this plague would have caused widespread devastation, a few trees remained for the locusts of the next plague to devour.

This article is continued 10 Plagues of Egypt - Legend in Jewish History Updated and edited by K. Kris Hirst Plagues of Egypt, Nile turning to blood. Illumination from the Seraglio Octateuch. 12th century. Topkapi Sarayi Museum Library, Istanbul, Turkey. Universal Images Group / Getty Images 1. Water to Blood 7:19 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron , Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone. continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States Plagues of Egypt, Frogs. Illumination from the Seraglio Octateuch. 12th century. Topkapi Sarayi Museum Library, Istanbul, Turkey. Universal Images Group / Getty Images 2.

Frogs 8:2 And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs: 8:3 And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading troughs: 8:4 And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. 3. Gnats or Lice 8:16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 4. Flies 8:21 Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are. The Fifth Plague of Egypt, 1800.

bu JMW Turner (1775-1851); Indianapolis Museum of Art. Fine Art Images / Heritage Images / Getty Images 5. Livestock Diseased 9:3 Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain. 6. Boils 9:8 And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. 9:9 And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. 7. Thunder and Hail 9:18 Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now. The Plague of Locusts by Vittorio Bianchini (1797-1880).

SuperStock / Getty Images 8. Locusts 10:4 Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast: 10:5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field. The plague of darkness strikes Egypt for three days, engraving by Gustave Dore (1832-1883),. De Agostini Picture Library / Getty Images 9. Darkness 10:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. 10:22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days The Death of the First-Born of Egypt, 1838-1839.

Artist: PIetro Paolétti (1801-1847), Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan. Fine Art Images / Heritage Images / Getty Images 10. Death of the Firstborn 11:4 And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: 11:5 And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Plagues of Egypt Home > Catholic Encyclopedia > P > Plagues of Egypt Plagues of Egypt Help support New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download . Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more  all for only $19.99...

Ten calamities inflicted on the Egyptians to overcome Pharao's obstinacy and force him to let the Israelites to leave Egypt ( Exodus 7:8 - 12:30 ; Psalm 77:42-51 ; 104:26-36 ). Moses's notification of God's will to Pharao only produced an aggravation of the condition of the Israelites , and the wonder of changing Aaron's rod into a serpent, which was wrought in proof of Moses's Divine mission, made no impression, as it was imitated by the Egyptian magicians ( Exodus 5 ; 7:8-13 ). A series of afflictions, culminating in the destruction of all the first-born of Egypt , was required before Pharao yielded. Of the ten plagues seven were produced through the agency of Moses an Aaron or of Moses alone, and three, namely the fourth, fifth, and tenth, by the direct action of God Himself. The interval of time within which they occurred cannot be stated with certainty . The last four must have followed in close succession between the beginning of March and the first days of April.

For when the hail fell barley was in the ear and flax in bud, which in Lower Egypt happens about March, and the Israelites left on the 14th of Nisan, which falls in the latter part of March or the early part of April. The first six seem also to have succeeded one another at short intervals, but the interval, if any, between them and the last four is uncertain. The Scriptural account produces the impression that the ten plagues were a series of blows in quick succession, and this is what the case would seem to have required. The scene of the interviews of Moses and Aaron with Pharao was Tanis or Soan in Lower Egypt (Ps. lxxvii, 12, 43). In the first plague, the water of the river and of all the canals and pools of Egypt was turned to blood and became corrupted, so that the Egyptians could not drink it, and even the fishes died ( Exodus 7:14-25 ). Commentators are divided as to whether the water was really changed into blood, or whether only a phenomenon was produced similar to the red discoloration of the Nile during its annual rise, which gave the water the appearance of blood.

The latter view is now commonly accepted. It should be noted, however, that the red discoloration is not usual in Lower Egypt , and that, when so discoloured, the water is not unfit to drink, though it is during the first, or green, stage of the rise. Besides, the change did not take place during the inundation (cf. Exodus 7:15 ). The second plague came seven days later. Aaron stretched his hand upon the waters and there appeared an immense number of frogs, which covered the land and penetrated into the land to the great discomfort of the inhabitants. Pharao now promised to let the Israelites go to sacrifice in the desert if the frogs were removed, but broke his promise when this was done. The third plague consisted of swarms of gnats which tormented man and beast. The magicians who in some way had imitated the first two wonders could not imitate this, and were forced to exclaim "This is the finger of God ". The fourth was a pest of flies. Pharao now agreed to allow the Israelites a three days' journey into the desert , but when at the prayer of Moses the flies were taken away, he failed to keep his promise.

The fifth was a murrain or cattle-pest, which killed the beasts of the Egyptians, while sparing those of the Israelites . The sixth consisted in boils which broke out both on men and beasts. The seventh was a fearful hailstorm. "The hail destroyed through all the land of Egypt all things that were in the field, both man and beast: and the hail smote every herb of the field, and it broke every tree of the country. Only in the land of Gessen, where the children of Israel were, the hail fell not." The frightened king again promised and again became obstinate when the storm was stopped. At the threat of an unheard of plague of locusts (the eighth) the servants of Pharao interceded with him and he consented to let the men go, but refused to grant more. Moses therefore stretched forth his rod, and a south wind brought innumerable locusts which devoured what the hailstorm had left. The ninth plague was a horrible darkness which for three days covered all Egypt except the land of Gessen.

The immediate cause of this plague was probably the hamsin, a south or southwest wind charged with sand and dust, which blows about the spring equinox and at times produces darkness rivalling that of the worst London fogs. As Pharao , though willing to allow the departure, insisted that the flocks should be left behind, the final and most painful blow (the tenth) was struck  the destruction in one night of all the first-born of Egypt . As the plagues of Egypt find parallels in natural phenomena of the country, many consider them as merely natural occurrences. The last evidently does not admit of a natural explanation, since a pestilence does not select its victims according to method. The others, howsoever natural they may be at times, must in this instance be considered miraculous by reason of the manner in which they were produced. They belong to the class of miracles which the theologians call preternatural. For not to mention that they were of extraordinary intensity, and that the first occurred at an unusual time and place and with unusual effects, they happened at the exact time and in the exact manner predicted. Most of them were produced at Moses's command, and ceased at his prayer , in one case at the time set by Pharao himself.

Purely natural phenomena, it is clear, do not occur under such conditions. Moreover, the ordinary phenomena, which were well known to the Egyptians, would not have produced such a deep impression on Pharao and his court.

Question: Moses 10 plagues on Egypt - what was the fourth?
Answer: Flies